Coupler operating mechanism for dump cars



COUPLER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR DUMP CARS May 19, 1942.

v Filed April 4, 1941- ZSnventor RICHARD 6. 603.9

attorney Patented May 19, 1942 COUPLER OPERATING MECHANISM FOR DUMP CARS Richard C. Goss, Bridgeville, Pa., assignor to The Ohio Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Application April 4, 1941, Serial No. 386,865

4 Claims.

This invention relates to coupler operating mechanism for dumping cars and is particularly useful in connection with rotary tipples for dumping mine cars.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means for automatically restoring a ing specification and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan of a tipple and its associated tracks.

Fig. 2 is an end view of a mine car with the present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one end of a mine car equipped with the invention.

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In modern mines and particularly in coal mines, the cars for hauling the coal from the mine are usually equipped with couplers that automatically connect the cars upon impact.

The cars are usually provided with some form of pivotal locking mechanism indicated at 10 in Fig. 3 which automatically secures the cars together when two cars are brought into coupled relation. The locking mechanism for the couplers nates a tipple for dumping the mine cars. These are usually provided with some means for engaging the car and rotating it about a longitudinal axis to discharge the contents of the car. One form of tipple for this purpose is shown in Patent 948,038, dated'February 1, 1910. In that patent a swivel connection between the car couplers is illustrated to permit relative tipping of the cars, but where automatic couplers are used this swivel connection between the couplers is not practical. Instead of leaving the cars connected in the train during the dumping operation, the car couplers are all locked in their inoperative position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing and the cars are pushed onto the tipple one at a time from the left in Fig. 1. After a car has been dumped, the next loaded car is moved into position and forces the empty may be held out of operative position by raising the control lever H to the full line position shown in Fig. 3. The lever is shown in broken lines in the position it occupies when the locking mechanism is in operative position. The lever is held in its inoperative position by a chain I2 connected to an arm I3 which is rigidly fixed to a rock shaft M. The shaft 14 is provided at its opposite ends with hand levers l5 and I6 which may be raised by an attendent to release the looking mechanism and uncouple the cars. The stop arm I! is rigidly fixed to the rock shaft 14 as by welding indicated at I8 for holding the coupler lock in its inoperative position. A detent I9 is pivoted at 20 on a bracket 2| secured to the front end 22 of the mine car and engages a notch 23 in the arm I! to hold the arm in its elevated position and retain the coupler lock in its inoperative position.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing the numeral 24 desigcar from the tipple. The empty car runs down a slightly inclined portion of track indicated at 25 on to a Switchback 26 and'then runs backwardly over a portion of track 21 into contact with the previously emptied cars indicated at 28. Heretofore, it has been necessary for an attendant to reset the coupling mechanism on the empty car so that when it engages the empty cars on the track 21, it will be automatically coupled with these cars. Thepresent invention contemplates means for automatically resetting the coupling mechanism without the necessity of an extra attendant. The resetting mechanism comprises a trip arm 29 rigidly fixed to the detent l9 and extending upwardly beyond the top of the car.

An operating stop 30 for the trip arm I9 is disposed in the path of the trip arm as it leaves the tipple as shown in Fig. l. The stop 30 may be carried on a post 3| or other suitable support at the side of the track adjacent the tipple. The cars are always arranged in the same position in a train so that complementary couplers will be in engagement with each other and the cars are always moved over the tipple with the end upon which the uncoupling mechanism is mounted, located at the rear of the car. When the car passes the operating stop 30, the stop will always engage the tripping lever 29 at the forward side of the lever so that the detent l9 will be moved out of engagement with the notch 23 and the arm 13 and locking lever II will be permitted to fall to their lowered position as the car leaves the tipple, thus resetting the coupling mechanism for automatic coupling with the next empty car in the train when the last emptied car leaves the Switchback and engages thestringof empties.

I claim:

1. In an automatic coupler having automatic coupling mechanism, the combination; a car mounted on a track having a coupler; a control lever pivotally mounted on said coupler and adapted to be moved from an operative to an inoperative position; a shaft rotatably mounted on said car; a pair of handles fixed to said shaft whereby to manually rotate said shaft; a lever fixed on said shaft; a chain connecting said lever and said control lever; a notched lever fixed to said shaft; a pivoted lever on said car having a portion engageable with said notched lever; means adjacent said track engageable with said pivoted lever to disengage it from said notched lever; said shaft being gravitationally rotated by said handles and chain to restore said control lever to operative position.

2. In an automatic coupler having means to retain it in an inoperative position and that may be gravitationally restored to operative position, the combination; a car movable on a track; an automatic coupler thereon; a shaft rotatably mounted on said car; handles on said shaft whereby said shaft may be rotated; a control element on said coupler; means connecting said shaft and said control element such that said control element may be retained in an inoperative position; a lever pivoted to said car; a lever fixed to said shaft and engageable with said pivoted lever; and means adjacent said track adapted to disengage said pivoted lever from said shaft lever, such that said handles and chain may rotate said handle to restore said control element to operative position.

3. In an automatic coupler having coupling mechanism that may be retained in inoperative position or restored to automatic coupling position, the combination; a car adapted for movement along a track; a coupler secured thereto; a control element on said coupler; a shaft rotatably mounted on said car; handles on said shaft to manually rotate same; a first lever fixed on said shaft and chain connected to said control element; a pivoted lever on said car; a second lever fixed on said shaft engageable with said pivoted lever to hold said control element in inoperative position; and means adjacent said track engageable with said pivoted lever to disengage it from said second lever to thereby permit said handlesand first lever to gravitationally rotate said shaft to enable said control element to be restored to operative position.

4. In a coupler having mechanism to hold it inoperative or permit it to be restored to automatic coupling position, the combination; a car movable along a track; a coupler on said car; a control element on said coupler; a shaft rotatably mounted on said car; a lever fixed on said shaft chain connected to said control element; a first means on said car engageable with a second means fixed on said shaft to hold said control element in inoperative position; a third means adjacent said track engageable with said first means to disengage it from said second means such that said lever and chain shall gravitationally rotate said shaft and restore said control element to operative position.

RICHARD C. GOSS. 

